Israeli soldiers demolished on Wednesday several Palestinians homes and public service constructions in Um Al Safa village, east of Yatta, south of the West Bank city of Hebron. The Army claims that the homes and construction sites were not licensed. Five other houses are under the threat of leveling for the same claims, the Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported.
Residents of the village reported that soldiers, supported by five armored jeeps and a military bulldozer, along with officials of the so called “Civil Administration Office” which belongs to the Israeli army, invaded Sha’ed Sammour area, north of Um Al Safa, and demolished the constructions.
Several residents who owned the constructions that were leveled got into a fist-fight with the soldiers in an attempt to bar them from leveling the buildings.
Head of the Um Al Safa village council, Jaber Abu Hmeid, said that the soldiers leveled a barracks used for living, a kitchen, toilet, and public usage buildings, and several tank-homes and workshops that belonged to residents Ismail and Hammad Oleyyan Awad and Mohammad Odeh Atiyya.
Abu Hmeid added that soldiers did not allow the residents to evacuate their furniture and belongings from the leveled constructions.
He added that Israel still intends to demolish five Palestinian houses in the same area. The owners of the five houses received an official notification last year. The Civil Administration Office claims that these houses are illegal.
It is worth mentioning that Palestinian construction in Palestinian controlled areas is authorized by local municipalities or village councils and not from the Israeli authorities.
The houses belong to: Sa’id Oleyyan, who owns 150 square meter inhibited by 10 family members, Sami Hammad Oleyyan, who owns 120 square meter , Ibrahim Hasan Daoud, who owns 100 square meter inhibited by five residents, and Issa Abu Mreir, who owns 60 square meters nhibited by six residents. There is also external constructions that belong to Ismail Al Adra.
